FASHION 
Return of readymades
Sumona Roy

Clearly, in this age of body-consciousness, soft slinky shapes have come to define both western and fusion wear. (MF)

Who wants exclusive made-to-order dresses these days? And where are the designers who painstakingly take your measurements, listen to your requirements, offer you a few style options and present you with a one-of-a-kind outfit worth a king’s ransom?

Well, if you are about to get married or a film star like Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Kapadia, things could be different. But at a time when even the likes of Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee and Kareena Kapoor are picking their clothes off the rack, why should any designer concentrate on exclusives?

Pret-a-porter is, however, not new to the Indian design scenario. It has always been there since the mid-eighties, only that it has always been sneered upon as down-market, ordinary and constituting mainly leftovers and rejects from a collection.

"Today, pret-a-porter is bread and butter for every designer," Lakshmi Rao, a merchandiser points out. "As competition hots up, the exclusivity of a design associated with a particular name or label has been diluted, making way for mass-produced readymades in the market."

Significantly, an attitudinal change has also crept in with the consumer no longer viewing the exquisitely crafted designer clothes at upmarket boutiques as "budget dresses". In fact, they are just as expensive and, more importantly, as indicative of current fashion trends as those paraded at premier ramp shows.

Little wonder, leading Indian designers like Shaina N.C. and Usha Mirchandani are opting for the mass route of selling through Shopper’s Stop, Crossroads, Ffolio, West Side and such departmental stores. That the trend is now for minimal styling has further contributed to the success of pret-a-porter.

As Shaina puts it: "The mantra is to wear climate-friendly clothes in soothing colours. Ethnic is out. It is modern elegance — beige, sober cuts, natural fibres. The orientation is towards comfort. Embroidery in self-tones adds that extra touch of class."

Consequently, India is witnessing a preponderance of cool cottons, crisp khadis, soft muls and light chiffons that are high in style, yet never outrageously sexy, dressy or ostentatious. Traditional cuts and textures merge with smart western concepts of ‘romance’ and ‘feminity’ for that added drama.

On the colour front, the classic white continues to rule supreme, while pastels, powder pinks and lime greens are catching up fast in popularity. Another cool colour is blue and its various shades — from the palest aqua through cornflower and electric to midnight and the darkest indigo.

"The accent is on the light-touch look," insists Krishna Mehta, who is making a celebration of delicate, utterly light and sensuous clothes for her pret line. The "floaty feel", she says, goes well with women of all ages.

For Mirchandani, the emphasis is on ethereal colours, tender cuts, surface texturing and fluid fabrics. Her Designer’s Paradise label, retailed through Crossroads, was known for some breath-taking styles in soft voile, crepe and, of course, chiffon.

Mirchandani had a line of knits as well — short kurtas teamed with straight trousers and printed scarves. Other popular readymades included ecru kurtas with embroidery on the yoke and sleeves (to be worn with crushed dupattas) as also chiffon-georgette sarees with lycra, velvet or lace blouses in sphagetti straps and fastenings at the back.

In casual wear, designers are recommending cool khakis for the sporty, teen look. The stores are packed with wide-leg sailor pants and baggies to be teamed with colourful strappies, bikini tops, white ticknots and cotton singlets for the holiday season.

For evening wear, pret options are, however, fairly limited. The most common numbers today are the "wet look" dresses with a good deal of smocking and sequins. Sequinned bustiers, PVC trousers with a metallic plastic belt and the ubiquitous jeans and T-shirt are just about the other choices for teeny boppers to rock into the wee hours.

Girls are especially going in for short dresses with delicate embroidery, beading and French lace. The emergence of light-as-air crochet and gossamer fine knits add to the ultra-feminine look. Strapless bustiers with straight pants or skirts constitute another option.